Sir Edward Wittenoom Was Born in Fremantle in 1854 and Was the Cousin of Edith Cowan on Her Mother’S Side
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SirEdward Wittenoom President of the Legislative Council Edith Dircksey Cowan..... Sir Edward Charles (Horne) Wittenoom 1854 - 1936 Liberal-National Party, Legislative Council President of the Legislative Council 1922 - 1926 Early Life Sir Edward Wittenoom was born in Fremantle in 1854 and was the cousin of Edith Cowan on her mother’s side. He was an experienced agriculturalist and he and his brother Frank Wittenoom leased Yuin Station (Yalgoo) in the Murchison district before acquiring the lease of Bowes Station in Northhampton. Sir Edward Horne Wittenoom The brothers subsequently established the Murgoo, Boolardy, Nookawarra, Mileura and Belele stations consisting of a combined two million acres used for farming sheep and cattle. Three of the stations were later sold off to clear rising debt as a result of drought conditions and livestock losses; however, Edward Wittenoom’s brother Frank solely retained Boolardy and Nookawarra stations. At the age of 27, Edward Wittenoom acquired White Peak Station near Geraldton where sheep stud farming and fine wool production became a profitable enterprise. Five years later, Edward Wittenoom, in partnership with his brother Frank, formed a stock and station agency in Geraldton. They expanded the general merchant business and transport agency components of the business to the new township of Day Dawn after the Murchison goldfield was proclaimed. Early life Edith Dirckey Cowan Political Life Edward Wittenoom’s career in politics commenced two years later in 1883, when he represented the Geraldton region for the Legislative Council. He temporarily retired from politics to travel abroad before returning to the Legislative Council in 1894 ( now operating under Responsible Government) as the Member for Central Province. He joined the Forrest Ministry as the Minister for Mines, Education, Post and Telegraphs. He became Acting Premier during Sir John Forrest’s absence in England in 1897. As Minister, he was described as ‘a man of considerable independence of character accustomed to having his own way’ and eventually lost his Education Portfolio after a clash with the Inspector of General Schools, Sir Edward Wittenoom standing outside the Sir Cyril Jackson. old Legislative Council chamber entrance at Parliament House, western façade on Harvest Tce. Information sourced from the Australian Dictionary of Biography Images courtesy of the Royal WA Historical Society. SirEdward Wittenoom President of the Legislative Council PoliticalEdith Life Dircksey Cowan..... Edward Wittenoom was heavily criticised as Minister for Post and Telegraphs for making rapid changes to telegraphy and for his handling of public service reorganisation, which was deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the gold rush. As the gold rush expanded to alluvial gold and reef mining, Edward Wittenoom Alluvial Miners meeting on Hannan St, Kalgoorlie introduced the unpopular ‘Ten Foot to protest against the ‘Ten Foot Regulation’ 12 March 1898. Image courtesy of the Regulation’ in 1898, a mining regulation State Library of Western Australia. aimed at restricting a miner’s search for alluvial gold to a depth of 10 feet (3 metres). The new policy angered miners leading to protests in the Goldfields Region and resulting in some diggers being jailed for defying the legislation. It was only when thousands of angry diggers mobbed Premier Forrest during his visit to Kalgoorlie that the regulation was repealed in 1898. Alluvial Miners await Premier Forrest at Kalgoorlie Railway Station 24 March 1898. Image courtesy of Wittenoom later resigned to become the State Library of Western Australia. Agent-General in London and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1900, becoming the last Knight Commander personally vested by the Queen at Osborne on the Isle of Wight.Early life Edith Dirckey Cowan President of the Legislative Council In 1922 at age 68, Sir Edward Wittenoom became the President of the Legislative Council with his son Charles Horne Wittenoom serving as a Member of Parliament at the same time. Both father and son served concurrently in the Legislative Council for six years before Sir Edward’s retirement. Sir Edward Wittenoom c.1922 Image courtesy of the Royal WA Historical Society Charles Horne Wittenoom.